Cross Canada Run

I gazed out into the night sky before sitting down to begin this journal entry and all I could see was the murky sky at first as it was a cloudy night. But then I saw a star shining through the dark sky, then another, and another… that’s what Michelle has been to me in this journey. A shining star when things appeared dark and cloudy. Michelle came into the picture of this journey when I realized that I wasn’t able to continue the run on my own. With perseverance, fortitude, genuine appreciation of people, and a range of other personal skills, Michelle has taken this cause to another level. With her involvement, we brought the message of this run directly into classrooms, health care centres, business clubs, and even mayors’ offices. I can recall one of our visits to a school in Kenora, ON where Michelle planned and played games with the kids to educate them about mental health. At the Welcome Inn drop-in centre for mental health patients in Brandon, MB, Michelle captivated the attention of an audience who couldn’t get enough of her fascinating stories about the run and her vast travel experience. When we attempted to schedule our very first speaking engagement in Ignace, Ontario, we were told that the mental health worker was busy and that we needed to come back the next business day. On Michelle’s insistence, we went back to the health centre the next day and spoke with the health care worker who readily connected us with our first speaking engagement – as they say, the rest was history!

From having snacks or meals ready on the table after my runs to arranging our accommodations to helping me treat my blisters, I could always count on Michelle to make my journey a smoother process. Michelle has sacrificed much for this cause and her wonderful work likely has benefited many Canadians who are affected by anxiety, depression and mental illness. I certainly have deep appreciation of Michelle’s contribution and have a lot more good things to say about her wonderful personality but decided to lead you through some unique moments that we shared together during this journey.

The first day of our journey together led us to a barn in Northern Ontario, which was still cold and snow-covered as can be seen on the photo. While I was expecting to spend the night in some parking lot since there were no motels or hotels in the immediate area, Michelle managed to arrange accommodation in a barn where we spent a couple of warm nights. Since then, Michelle has arranged many more warm couches and beds for us to stay along the way.

We were still in the middle of the winter when I resumed the cross-country run in late February where temperatures got as low as -36˚C. The challenges that I had with running in severe cold were still fresh in my mind when I began this new leg of the run and I really wasn’t sure how I was going to handle the cold this time around. Fortunately, Michelle did a good job at ensuring a trouble-free journey, thus making the cold more bearable. If running outside in the cold was my challenge then I think one of the obstacles that Michelle had to overcome was living in a RV in the middle of winter. Like me, Michelle was not very fond of the winter but she found ways to cope with the elements. As you can see from the below photo, Michelle was dressed in full winter gears inside the RV while enjoying a meal. It demonstrates Michelle’s character and the sacrifices that she made to help spread the message of this cause.

In addition to the many tasks required to manage the journey, Michelle also found time to run with me 4 to 5 days a week. I have always enjoyed our runs on Highway #1, especially when I needed extra motivations on the road. Together, we ran pass unique rock formations along the highway, waved to the many truck drivers, surfed a little in the wind when the big rigs passed us by, and ran through cold and snowy days. I will forever treasure our foot prints on the Trans Canada Highway.

I often describe kind people who passionately support this journey as angels who are watching over me and Michelle was certainly one of my guardian angels. As words and photos combined can not completely describe my appreciation of Michelle’s contributions to this run, I simply would like to thank her for enriching my journey and for benefiting the lives of those who are affected by anxiety and depression. Michelle is a kind heart, a good friend, and an amazing human being. I hope that she will shine even brighter in her future endeavors and bring light to the lives of many more.